Halloween Is Over, But You Should Be Afraid of “Zombie” Cells. Strawberries May Help!

12 months ago | Nutrition

By Joy Stephenson-Laws, JD, Founder

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn, entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, personal development legend.

I absolutely love this quote. It’s very on brand for what the Proactive Health Labs team is all about – happy and healthy longevity. In order to live long and healthily, it requires a lot of work through prioritizing things such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, getting sufficient quality sleep, stress management and more.

Apparently, we also have to be mindful of "zombie" cells.

Senescent cells are also known as “zombie” cells. These are essentially cells that are not alive but also not dead. Like a zombie!

“Senescent cells turn undead with aging and stress—they cease to replicate, but also resist apoptosis [cell death], lingering in cell cycle arrest and secreting pro-inflammatory toxins into their microenvironment. They are associated with chronic inflammation and thought to promote tumor growth,” according to Cedars Sinai.

As I have previously discussed many times, chronic inflammation is one of the biggest obstacles in regards to attaining happy and healthy longevity. The good news is that we can be proactive, and consuming strawberries may be key in staving off those “zombie” cells.

There is something very powerful in strawberries called fisetin.

Fisetin is an antioxidant. I recently came across this article from Insider about a longevity researcher who experimented on himself by taking a strawberry supplement. Before I continue, I want to make it very clear that this does not mean that you should do the same.

“There are already plenty of supplement-peddlers on the internet, selling products that are not regulated for safety or quality,” Insider reports.

“In addition to being for sale in an unregulated space, high doses of fisetin could be toxic. The proper dosage and potential harms for patients with other health issues haven't been uncovered either.”

With that said, the longevity researcher was inspired to take the supplement as he had been studying fisetin for a long time and had witnessed not only how it made mice live longer but also improved life quality.

Fisetin is a senolytic drug.

A senolytic drug essentially kills those “zombie” cells.

According to Insider, “In aging mice, when these zombie cells are wiped out, functionality of key organs like the heart, liver, lungs, and the brain all improve, as systemic inflammation goes down.”

Even though it is not recommended to take a fisetin supplement, strawberries are one of the best sources of this powerful antioxidant. In addition to this, a recent study conducted by the University of Cincinnati found evidence suggesting that eating strawberries daily may reduce the risk of developing dementia.

The study examined people who were overweight and between the ages of 50-65 years old. This sample also had “complaints of mild cognitive decline,” according to a report about the research published by UC News.

(Being overweight or obese has been linked to cognitive decline and the development of dementia due to the inflammation these conditions promote ).

For 12 weeks, participants were asked to abstain from eating any kind of berry fruit with the exception of a daily packet of supplement powder that was mixed with water and taken at breakfast. Half the participants took a placebo supplement, and the other half took a powder that was equivalent to one cup of whole strawberries.

“Those in the strawberry powder group had diminished memory interference, which is consistent with an overall improvement in executive ability,” UC News reports.

“The strawberry-treated participants also had a significant reduction of depressive symptoms, which Krikorian [lead researcher] said can be understood as a result from ‘enhanced executive ability that would provide better emotional control and coping and perhaps better problem-solving.’”

Furthermore, “While more research is needed, Krikorian said the strawberry treatment may have improved cognitive function by reducing inflammation in the brain.”

And there you have it. It’s always about fighting that chronic inflammation. Although this study report does not specifically mention fisetin, it does credit micronutrients in strawberries for the potential health benefits.

(pH must-read – Holy Strawberries!)

Blueberries are also known to potentially help fight cognitive decline. If you really want to help fight inflammation, have a fruit cocktail of blueberries and strawberries every morning. If you are allergic to strawberries or perhaps have a berry allergy in general, the good news is that fisetin is found in several whole foods such as apples, persimmons, grapes, onions, mangoes, kiwis, tomatoes and cucumbers.

For more tips on attaining happy and healthy longevity, check out these additional pH Labs blogs.

Enjoy your healthy life!

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor or another competent healthcare practitioner to get specific medical advice for your situation.

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses, and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products, and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.